Twenty-three Professional Bowlers Association players who traveled to Tokyo to compete in the 28th Round1 Japan Cup have advanced to the field of 64 match play finalists at Minami Suna Round 1.

Tom Smallwood

After 10 qualifying games by the field of 176 players from around the world on Thursday, Japan’s Shigenori Sakata led the 32 players who advanced out of A Squad with a 10-game total of 2,483 pins – a 248.3 average – while two-time PBA Tour titlist Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Michigan, paced the B squad qualifiers with a 2,437 total (243.7 average).

The tournament field was split into two squads of 88 players, with PBA Tour players divided between the two squads. Among those who failed to advance to match play was defending Japan Cup champion Yuya Kato, who became the first Japanese player in 25 years to win the event in the 47th edition of the tournament held last December.

Under the Japan Cup format, the top 32 qualifiers from A squad and the top 32 from B squad will begin best-of-five-game, single-elimination play Friday. Winners will remain in their respective brackets into the Round of 8, which will be nationally-televised in Japan.

FINAL QUALIFYING STANDINGS
Minami Suna Round1, Tokyo, Thursday

A Squad (after 10 games; top 32 advance to Round of 64 best-of-five-game single-elimination match play):
1, Shigenori Sakata, 2,483.
2, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 2,379.
3, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 2,369.
4, Kim Young Kwan, 2,358.
5, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 2,349.
6, Katsuhito Itoyama, 2,324.
7, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 2,323.
8, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 2,316.
9, Choi Won Young, 2,304.
10, Takuya Saitoh, 2,288.
11, Akio Harada, 2,288.
12, Parker Bohn Ⅲ, Jackson, N.J., 2,286.
13, Stuart Williams, England, 2,266.
14, Park Kyung Shin, 2,262.
15, Masanori Satoh, 2,257.
16, Takuya Miyazawa, 2,239.
17, Hayato Hijikata, 2,239.
18, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 2,234.
19, Takahiro Satoh, 2,231.
20, Shota Kawazoe, 2,228.
21, Shigeo Saito, 2,228.
22, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 2,216.
23, Shunsuke Miyata, 2,206.
24, Yoshihiro Gima, 2,204.
25, Takashi Kudoh, 2,203.
26, Tamiki Miike, 2,198.
27, Nobuaki Takahashi, 2,197.
28, Kengo Tagata, 2,188.
29, Shinya Ishida, 2,187.
30, Brian Voss, Centennial, Colo., 2,185.
31, Joji Takabuchi, 2,182.
32, Jason Sterner, Covington, Ga., 2,181.
Failed to advance: 33, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 2,177. 50, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 2,089.

B Squad (after 10 games; top 32 advance to Round of 64 best-of-five-game single-elimination match play):
1, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 2,437.
2, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 2,347.
3, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 2,330.
4, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 2,293.
5, Seo Jeng Hwan, 2,280.
6, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 2,276.
7, Jeong Tae Hwa, 2,275.
8, Fumihiro Yoshida, 2,273.
9, Yugo Imakita, 2,260.
10, Jo Nam Yi, 2,260.
11, Mike Fagan, 2,260.
12, Nobuhito Fujii, 2,256.
13, Dom Barrett, England, 2,245.
14, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 2,238.
15, Akio Ishihara, 2,226.
16, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 2,226.
17, Hiroyuki Kuretake, 2,225.
18, Kenichi Kadokawa, 2,221.
19, Park Sang Pil, 2,220.
20, Hiroki Takada, 2,213.
21, Makoto Kawakami, 2,205.
22, Shinichi Horie, 2,204.
23, Toshifumi Kojima, 2,201.
24, Shuichi Heki, 2,199.
25, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 2,195.
26, Takeo Sakai, 2,181.
27, Eisuke Miyazaki, 2,171.
28, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 2,167.
29, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 2,166.
30, Yoshimi Kitaoka, 2,166.
31, Makoto Endo, 2,157.
32, Kaname Yamamoto, 2,155.
Failed to advance: 47, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 2,110. 50, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 2,101. 68, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 2,033.

ROUND OF 64 A SQUAD BRACKET PAIRINGS
(Friday, best of five games; winners advance to Round of 32)
No. 1 Shigenori Sakata vs. No. 32 Jason Sterner.
No. 2 Wes Malott vs. No. 31 Joji Takabuchi.
No. 3 Jason Belmonte vs. No. 30 Brian Voss.
No. 4 Kim Young Kwan vs. No. 29 Shinya Ishida.
No. 5 Osku Palermaa vs. No. 28 Kengo Tagata.
No. 6 Katsuhito Itoyama vs. No. 27 Nobuaki Takahashi.
No. 7 Marshall Kent vs. No. 26 Tamiki Miike.
No. 8 Ronnie Russell vs. No. 25 Takashi Kudoh.
No. 9 Choi Won Young vs. No. 24 Yoshihiro Gima.
No. 10 Takuya Saitoh vs. No. 23 Shunsuke Miyata.
No. 11 Akio Harada vs. No. 22 Tommy Jones.
No. 12 Parker Bohn III vs. No. 21 Shigeo Saito.
No. 13 Stuart Williams vs. No. 20 Shota Kawazoe.
No. 14 Park Kyung Shin vs. No. 19 Takahiro Satoh.
No. 15 Masanori Satoh vs. No. 18 Pete Weber.
No. 16 Takuya Miyazawa vs. No. 17 Hayato Hijikata.

ROUND OF 64 B SQUAD BRACKET PAIRINGS
(Friday, best of five games; winners advance to Round of 32)
No. 1 Tom Smallwood vs. No. 32 Kaname Yamamoto.
No. 2 Bill O’Neill vs. No. 31 Makoto Endo.
No. 3 Norm Duke vs. No. 30 Yoshimi Kitaoka.
No. 4 Chris Loschetter vs. No. 29 Sean Rash.
No. 5 Seo Jeng Hwan vs. No. 28 Craig Nidiffer.
No. 6 Ryan Cimielli vs. No. 27 Eisuke Miyazaki.
No. 7 Jeong Tae Hwa vs. No. 26 Takeo Sakai.
No. 8 Fumihiro Yoshida vs. No. 25 Mika Koivuniemi.
No. 9 Yugo Imakita vs. No. 24 Shuichi Heki.
No. 10 Jo Nam Yi vs. No. 23 Toshifumi Kojima.
No. 11 Mike Fagan vs. No. 22 Shinichi Horie.
No. 12 Nobuhito Fuji vs. No. 21 Makoto Kawakami.
No. 13 Dom Barrett vs. No. 20 Hiroki Takada.
No. 14 Walter Ray Williams Jr. vs. No. 19 Park Sang Pil.
No. 15 Akio Ishihara vs. No. 18 Kenichi Kadokawa.
No. 16 Scott Norton vs. No. 17 Hiroyuki Kuretake.